A Wife for Isaac 1 UDB Abraham was now a very old man. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in many ways. BSB BSB: By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
2 UDB One day Abraham said to the chief servant of his household, the man who was in charge of all Abraham owned, "Put your hand between my thighs to solemnly promise you will do what I tell you. BSB BSB: So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
3 UDB Knowing that Yahweh, God who created the heavens and the earth, is listening, promise that you will not get a wife for my son, Isaac, from the daughters of the Canaanite people among whom I am now living. BSB BSB: and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,
4 UDB Instead, go to my country and to my relatives. Get a wife for my son Isaac from among them." BSB BSB: but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 UDB The servant asked him, "If I find a woman among your relatives, what should I do if she is not willing to come back with me to this land? Should I take your son back there to the country you came from, so he can find a wife and live there?" BSB BSB: The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6 UDB Abraham replied to him, "No! Be certain that you do not take my son there! BSB BSB: Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
7 UDB Yahweh, the God who created the heavens, brought me here. He brought me from my father's household and from the land where my relatives lived. He spoke to me and made a solemn promise to me. He said, 'I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants.' He will send an angel who will go there ahead of you and enable you to get a wife for my son and bring her to live here. BSB BSB: The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.
8 UDB But if the woman you find will not come back with you, you are free to disregard the promise you are making. The only thing that you must not do is to take my son to live there." BSB BSB: And if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”
9 UDB So the servant put his hand between Abraham's thighs and made a solemn promise about the matter. BSB BSB: So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
11 UDB When the servant arrived at Nahor, it was in late afternoon, at the time when the women go to the well to get water. He made the camels kneel down near the well, which was outside the city. BSB BSB: As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water.
12 UDB The servant prayed, "Yahweh, God whom my master Abraham worships, enable me to be successful today! Keep faith with my master, Abraham! BSB BSB: “O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 UDB Listen to me. I am standing near a well of water, and the daughters of the people of the city are coming to get water. BSB BSB: Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
14 UDB I am asking you this: I will say to one of the girls, 'Please lower your jar so that I may drink some water.' If she says, 'Drink some water, and I will draw some water for your camels, too,' I will know that she is the woman whom you chose to be a wife for your servant, Isaac, and I will know that you have kept faith with my master." BSB BSB: Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Rebekah Is Chosen 15 UDB Before he finished praying, a young woman named Rebekah arrived there, carrying a jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Abraham's younger brother Nahor. BSB BSB: Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.
16 UDB She was very beautiful and a virgin. No man had ever slept with her. She went down to the edge of the well, filled her jar with water, and then came back up. BSB BSB: Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again.
17 UDB Abraham's servant immediately ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." BSB BSB: So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”
18 UDB She replied, "Drink some, sir!" She lowered her jar from her shoulder to her hands and gave him a drink. BSB BSB: “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
19 UDB After she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will also get some water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink." BSB BSB: After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”
20 UDB She quickly emptied the water in her jar into the animals' water trough. Then she ran back to the well, and kept getting water for all the camels. BSB BSB: And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels.
21 UDB The servant just watched her, without saying anything. He wanted to know if Yahweh had caused his trip to be successful or not. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.
22 UDB Finally, after the camels finished drinking, the servant took out a gold nose ring that weighed six grams, and two gold bracelets for her arms, each weighing about 110 grams, gave them to Rebekah, and told her to put them on. BSB BSB: And after the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a beka, and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels.
23 UDB Then he said, "Tell me whose daughter you are. Also, tell me, is there room in your father's house for me and my men to sleep there tonight?" BSB BSB: “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 UDB She replied, "My father's name is Bethuel. He is the son of Nahor and his wife Milkah. BSB BSB: She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”
25 UDB Yes, we have room where you all can sleep tonight, and we also have plenty of straw and grain to feed the camels." BSB BSB: Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”
26 UDB The servant bowed and worshiped Yahweh. BSB BSB: Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
27 UDB He said, "I thank Yahweh, God whom my master Abraham worships. He has continued to show that he is faithful and trustworthy toward my master. Yahweh led me on this journey straight to the house of my master's relatives!" BSB BSB: saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 UDB The girl ran and told everyone in her mother's household about what had happened. BSB BSB: The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29 UDB Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban went quickly to the servant, who was outside by the well. BSB BSB: Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.
30 UDB He was surprised to have seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms and to have heard Rebekah tell what the man had said to her. So he went out and saw the man standing near the camels, close to the well. BSB BSB: As soon as he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard Rebekah’s words, “The man said this to me,” he went and found the man standing by the camels near the spring.
31 UDB He said to the man, "You who have been blessed by Yahweh, come! Why are you standing out here? I have prepared a room for you in the house, and a place for the camels to stay." BSB BSB: “Come, you who are blessed by the LORD,” said Laban. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
32 UDB So the servant went to the house, and Laban's servants unloaded the camels. They brought straw and grain for the camels, and water for him and the men with him to wash their feet. BSB BSB: So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions.
33 UDB They set food in front of him for him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I tell you what I need to tell you." So Laban said, "Tell us!" BSB BSB: Then a meal was set before the man, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I came to say.” So Laban said, “Please speak.”
34 UDB So the servant said, "I am Abraham's servant. BSB BSB: “I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
35 UDB Yahweh has greatly blessed my master so that he has become very rich. Yahweh has given him many sheep and cattle, a lot of gold and silver, male and female servants, camels and donkeys. BSB BSB: “The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.
36 UDB My master's wife, Sarah, bore a son for him when she was very old, and my master has given to his son everything he owns. BSB BSB: My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
37 UDB My master made me solemnly promise, saying, 'Do not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite people, in whose land we are living. BSB BSB: My master made me swear an oath and said, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell,
38 UDB Instead, go back to my father's family, to my own clan, and get from them a wife for my son.' BSB BSB: but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’
39 UDB Then I asked my master, 'What shall I do if the woman they give me will not come back with me?' BSB BSB: Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
40 UDB He replied, 'Yahweh, whom I have always obeyed, will send his angel with you, and he will cause your journey to be successful. He will make you able to get a wife for my son from my clan, from my father's family. BSB BSB: And he told me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house.
41 UDB But if my clan refuses to allow her to return with you, you will be freed from being cursed because you could not obey me.' BSB BSB: And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
42 UDB When I came today to the well, I prayed, 'Yahweh, God whom my master, Abraham, worships, if you are going to make me successful on this journey, please do this for me: BSB BSB: So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success!
43 UDB I am standing alongside a well, where girls will come to draw water. I am asking you that if I say to a girl, "Please, give me a little water to drink from your jar," BSB BSB: Here I am, standing beside this spring. Now if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’
44 UDB and if she says to me, "Certainly, drink some, and I will also draw some water for your camels," then let that be the woman whom you have chosen for my master's son!' BSB BSB: and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well,’ may she be the woman the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.
45 UDB Before I finished praying, Rebekah approached with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the well and got some water. I said to her, 'Please give me a drink!' BSB BSB: And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
46 UDB She quickly lowered her jar and said, 'Drink some! And I will draw water for your camels, too.' So I drank some water, and she also got water for the camels. BSB BSB: She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels.
47 UDB Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife, Milkah.' I had her put the ring in her nose and put the bracelets on her arms. BSB BSB: Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 UDB Then I bowed and worshiped Yahweh, and I thanked Yahweh God, the one my master Abraham worships, the one who led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother to be a wife for my master's son. BSB BSB: Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.
49 UDB Now, if you act faithfully toward my master as part of his extended family, tell me that you will do what I am asking. If you will not do that, tell me that also, so I may know what to do." BSB BSB: Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”
50 UDB Laban and Bethuel answered, "This clearly has come from Yahweh. So we two cannot say that it is the right thing or the wrong thing to do. BSB BSB: Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
51 UDB Rebekah is here in front of you. Take her and go, and let her be a wife for your master's son, just as Yahweh has indicated." BSB BSB: Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as the LORD has decreed.”
52 UDB When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed down to the ground to Yahweh. BSB BSB: When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
53 UDB Then the servant brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothes, and gave them to Rebekah. And he gave gifts to her brother Laban and to her mother. BSB BSB: Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.
54 UDB Then they ate a meal and drank. The men who were with Abraham's servant also slept there that night. The next morning, the servant said, "Allow me now to return to my master." BSB BSB: Then he and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”
55 UDB But her brother and her mother replied, "Let the girl remain with us for about ten days. After that, you may take her and go." BSB BSB: But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”
56 UDB But he replied to them, "Yahweh has made my journey successful, so do not delay me. Let me take her back to my master now!" BSB BSB: But he replied, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my journey a success. Send me on my way so that I may go to my master.”
57 UDB They said, "Let us call the girl and ask her to say what she wants to do." BSB BSB: So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”
58 UDB So they summoned Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man now?" She replied, "Yes, I will go." BSB BSB: They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.
59 UDB So they sent Rebekah, along with the female servant who had cared for her all her life, to go with Abraham's servant and the men who had come with him. BSB BSB: So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 UDB Then they asked God to bless Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, we ask that Yahweh will cause you to have millions of descendants, and allow them to completely defeat all those that hate them." BSB BSB: And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”
61 UDB Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready. They got on their camels and went with Abraham's servant. He took Rebekah and left. BSB BSB: Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
Isaac Marries Rebekah 62 UDB Now Isaac was living in the southern Judean wilderness. He had come from Beer Lahai Roi. BSB BSB: Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
63 UDB One evening he went out into the field to meditate as he walked. He looked up and was surprised to see some camels coming. BSB BSB: Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
64 UDB Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got off the camel BSB BSB: And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
65 UDB and asked the servant, "Who is that man who is approaching?" The servant replied, "That is Isaac, my master." So she took her veil and covered her face, in order to show modesty in front of him. BSB BSB: and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 UDB The servant told Isaac all that had happened. BSB BSB: Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
67 UDB Then Isaac took Rebekah into the tent that had belonged to his mother, Sarah, and she became his wife. He loved her. In this way Isaac was comforted about his mother's death. BSB BSB: And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.